News From Fort Zeller Elementary

Hello to our Fort Zeller Families,

I can't believe we are already starting October. This school year is off to an amazing start. Everyone at Fort Zeller strives to create a safe, welcoming and accepting learning environment for all of our students. We want Fort Zeller to be a place where students love to learn and staff love to work! Our students are definitely doing their part to make Fort Zeller so special by always being respectful, responsible and ready to learn.

We look forward to collaborating with our families to create an amazing Fort Zeller experience. Together, as a team, we will make it a great year!

All the Best,

Jodi Houck

1.. Socktober - For the past four years, an ELCO student who is currently in 7th grade, has completed a community service project during the month of October, called “Socktober”. During the month of October, there will be a box in the main office to collect socks, blankets, canned food, hats, gloves, and toiletries. All donated items will be collected and donated to the Lebanon Rescue Mission. Please considering supporting this amazing service project by sending in these items with your child(ren) throughout the month. Thank you!!

2. Race for Education - Thank you to everyone who has donated to our Race for Education event! We truly appreciate your generosity. If you would like to see your child participate in the event, the schedule for the day is listed below. You can come on Friday and cheer your child on while they race/run/walk. Please be sure to sign-in with the PTO outside when you come to watch.

3. Schoology - If you have not done so already, please join your child's Schoology Course so you can be in communication with his/her teacher. Please don't hesitate to call the teacher if you need help.

4. Trip Forms - If you are planning on going on a trip, please make sure to fill out a trip request form and turn it into the office. Planned trips require the principal's approval in order to be excused. For all other absences, you can complete the excuse on Power School, or turn in an excuse to the office through email (fzattendance@elcosd.org) or paper copy.

Our Race for Education event will be taking place on Friday, October 6. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated. The links to our Race for Education Hype video and to donate are below. The money raised helps to provide our students with fun assemblies, educational field trips, classroom supplies, and much more.

Hype Video - Click Here

To Donate - Click Here

If you would like to come to the event and see your child race, the schedule is provided below.

Oct. 2: (Day 4)

• School Board Meeting @ 6:00 pm

Oct. 4 (Day 2):

• PTO Meeting @ 6:30 pm

Oct. 6 (Day 4):

• Race for Education Day!

Oct. 9 (No School)

• Act 80 Day - no students

Oct. 10 (Day 1):

• Hearing Screening

Oct. 11 (Day 2)

• Fire Prevention - Fire trucks coming to Fort Zeller

Oct. 12 (Day 3)

• Exterior Threat Drill

Oct. 13 (Day 4)

• Family Groups
• Rain Date for Race for Education

Oct. 16 (Day 1)

• Board Meeting @ 6:00 p.m.

Oct. 19 (Day 4)

• First Energy Assembly @ 10:00 am

Oct. 20 (Day 1)

• First Grade Field Trip to Corn Cob Acres (Wear your Race for Education t-shirt!)
• Look for conference information in your child's folder

Oct. 24 (Day 3)

• Title I Family Engagement Night @ Intermediate School 5:00-6:30 pm

Oct. 25 (Day 4)

• Rising Raiders Workshop 5:00-6:30 pm (for incoming kindergarteners in 2024)

Oct. 27 (Day 2):

• PBIS Assembly @ 2:15 pm
• Conference response forms due

Oct. 31 (Day 4)

• Happy Halloween 🎃
• End of the 1st Marking Period

For the second year, Fort Zeller Elementary and Jackson Elementary are teaming up to provide family workshops for next year's incoming kindergarten families. Flyers were given out to local childcare/preschool facilities. Please help spread the word to any families who have children entering kindergarten next year. Thank you!

GREAT NEWS: Pennsylvania is continuing to provide free breakfast for all students enrolled during the 2023-2024 school year.

All students that are interested in receiving breakfast must go through the cafeteria line or breakfast cart and provide their student pin number in order to account for the meal participation.

Lunch service will remain the same as set by your eligibility status (Free or Reduced) and/or Paid meal pricing from the beginning of the school year.

We encourage everyone to apply for Free or Reduced Lunch pricing at SchoolCafe.com, COMPASS website www.compass.state.pa.us or a paper application is available at all school building offices.

The Food Service Department is excited to offer the opportunity for all students to receive free breakfast again this year!

The ELCO Raider Food Pantry is Open!

The ELCO Raider Food Pantry is now open and available for the ELCO families. With the support of our ELCO staff, local businesses and churches, we are able to provide our ELCO families with an additional resource.

If you are in need of immediate assistance or you'd like to donate to the ELCO Raider Pantry, please reach out to Kelly Smith, ELCO Social Worker, at 717-306-3242 or Jenelle Himmelreich, Director of Food and Nutrition, at 717-306-3270 for a confidential appointment to the pantry.

Congratulations to our September students of the month and class of the month!

Kindergarten - Cael Z. (Zurick PM), & Oaklyn S. (Kolovani AM)

First Grade - Oliver M. (Ogurcak), Kaylena C.(Booth) & Parker Martin (Breiner)

Second Grade - Kaiden B. (Withrow) & Nora Z. (Kane)

Class of the Month - Ms. Crandall (1st Grade)

During the month of September, we were focused on respect. Throughout the month of October, we are focusing on self control. Self control means having control over one's actions, words, and emotions.

Please help me to welcome our new staff into the Fort Zeller Family!!

Librarian - Amy Davis

Paraprofessional - Kiri Arndt

Paraprofessional- Eliza Noone

We have had a GREAT first month back to school! I am so excited to be back! We’re going to have an awesome year!

R.E.A.C.H. Lessons

In Kindergarten, we got to know each other! I practiced learning everyone’s names. And the students, with the help of Mrs. Potato Head, learned all about who I am and what I do here at school! Ask them if they know Mrs. Brosius!

1st grade: We read a book called Color Monster. We reviewed some of the feelings we learned about last year in Kindergarten. Students also had to figure out how the little girl in the story is like Mrs. Brosius here at school!

2nd grade: Second grade students played a “Meet the School Counselor” game show game. This was a great (and fun) review of what my job is here at school, things a school counselor does and doesn’t do, and how students can connect with me if they need to!

Small Groups

Small group request forms were sent home with 1st and 2nd grade students and students in Mrs. Stuart’s ELCO Ready class. I will be starting groups in the next week or two. I run groups all year long on a rotating basis; so if you signed your child up for a group and they’re not seeing me yet – they will be later in the year!

PBIS

Students have done a fantastic job filling their Bee cards! Ask your student if they were one of our lucky Bee Card winners so far! 😊

Students started off the year in Library by learning about digital citizenship through use of our iPads and electronic crayons. We talked about book care and enjoyed self-selecting library books. We reinforced the PBIS character trait of respect in our learning.

**Please remember to sign and return your MusicFirst Elementary App permission slips.

In kindergarten, we learned a new song called Apple tree and danced to action songs.

First grade and second grade students are reviewing previously learned notes and note names.

All students are practicing and learning rhythm syllables. Students are discovering what sound is by creating those sounds by hitting, shaking, and scratching different musical objects.

This month in Mrs. Panza’s art classroom, ELCO artists were focused on learning our classroom routines and have started creating artwork. Second grade artists created artwork focused on using watercolor techniques like wax resist and their creative skills to create a monster drawing. These drawings are a collaboration project with 7th grade artists at ELCO Middle School. First grade artists focused on the art element of texture. With a texture plate, they experimented with color and texture as well as overlapping. We practiced using these tools several times and used different types of crayons (triangular and egg shaped). Artists also created some collaborative artwork for our Open House Night. Kindergarten artists started to explore what art is, materials artists use, how artists think and use our imaginations. Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? By Bill Martin Jr, The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds and Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson are stories that we listened to and fit nicely with developing these skills.

Physical Education classes kicked off the year with a unit on Locomotor Movements. Students became experts at running, galloping, hopping, skipping, jumping and sliding. They also learned about the role of levels, pathways and tempos during physical activities. Everyone loved being active during creative tag games and movement activities that featured all of the different locomotor skills. Students were also introduced to the concept of healthy physical activity and learned how exercise makes one’s heart “happy”!

Kindergarten has been working hard on the Three Bee Rules. We have been previewing letters and numbers. We have been talking about position words and sorting. We have started Spring Math activities. We have been getting to know each other and working together.

Kindergarten had a ton of fun celebrating Johnny Appleseed Day! They spent day doing all kinds of activities with apples

September: This month, first graders formed words using short vowel a, short vowel i and short vowel o word families. During math time, students used counters to model addition stories, added two parts to make a whole and practiced printing addition number sentences. We practiced being respectful since it was the school wide September character trait, and the kids all worked very hard learning the 3 bee first grade rules.

We have had a great start in second grade! In reading, we have read realistic fiction and informational texts. Our phonics focus has been on CVC words, where students are reading and writing consonant-vowel-consonant pattern words. During math instruction, the students are recognizing patterns and applying strategies to add and subtract. Lastly, the students are exploring the three states of matter in science, with hands on experiences!

Second grade has been learning about the three stages of matter; solid, liquid, and gas. Mr. Wright worked with students on an experiment that focused on solids and liquids. This experiment involved having students collaborate on designing a cooler that would keep an ice cube cold enough to stay a solid. The students loved designing coolers! Will the ice cubes last a full school day? What a "cool" STEM activity!

On September 22nd, students, who completed one of the summer reading challenges, participated in a celebration that recognized this accomplishment. Students had ice cream and chose yummy toppings to complete the delicious treat. Children also listened to Ms. Leonard (reading specialist) read a funny story about kittens. Daisy (K-Pets Therapy Dog), the golden doodle, also visited and celebrated with the students. Finally, students got to choose a free book to keep. The event was truly memorable and fun!

ELCO School District is growing our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels. Click on the icons and follow along!

Facebook - @ELCOSD

Twitter - @elcosd

Instagram - @elcosd

Why:

1. Celebrate our students.

2. Keep parents, students, alumni, and the community in the loop of what is happening in our district.

3. Promote the great things happening such as athletics, activities, and other events.

4. Build an ongoing conversation about the positive impact our district is making in the lives of our students!

What do I need to do?

• If you are on these social media channels – follow us!

• Help promote these accounts to your family and friends.

• If you aren’t on these platforms – that’s OK. The district will continue to provide communication through traditional channels.

We are grateful to our first and second grade students and their families for their attendance on our Meet the Teacher Night on September 13. It was so great to meet so many new friends and we are looking forward to an amazing year!

Welcome back to school! I hope everyone had a wonderful summer break. Some friendly reminders to please update your child’s Power School Parent Portal page. There are some important forms to be filled out yearly regarding your child’s medical information.

· Yearly Health Profile

· Annual Over the Counter Medication permission form

These forms will help me treat your child properly when they enter my office as well as keep me informed of their overall health status. Your cooperation is appreciated. Thank you and I’m looking forward to a great year!

Ms. Norissa Bergman, LPN

October

1 - Nate Kleymush & Gabriel Vincent

4 - Hannah Kissinger

5 - Mark Hartman

6 - Wyatt Boyer

7 - Addison Bowman & Olivia Whitman

9 - Blake Neiswender

10 - Anderson Bord & Paxton Shepler

12 - Amelia Smith

16 - Peyton Schies

19 - Adalyn Klick

21 - Westin Rickert

22 - Carter Lafaver

23 - Maria Byelichenko & Isabele Shcherbakova

27 - Tessa Zartman

28 - Piper Sics

1. On October 4th, 2022, at 6:30, our PTO will host its second meeting in our library at Fort Zeller. Most meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of every month. We hope that you will consider joining our meetings and provide your valuable input to support our students and staff at Fort Zeller.

2. Volunteering: If you have an interest in being a volunteer in your child's classroom or in our school, please use this link, https://www.elcosd.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=918, to complete the necessary paperwork on clearances. Don't hesitate to call our office at (610) 589-2575 if you need additional assistance.

Join us this coming Wednesday for our 2nd meeting of the school year!

🔵🟡Next Fort Zeller PTO Meeting - Wednesday, October 4 @ 630PM🟡🔵

🏃🏃‍♀️ Race for Education - Friday, Oct 6 🏃‍♀️🏃

The Race for Education is in FULL swing! 6 Days to Go!

🏃Currently class standings 🏃‍♀️-

$1,180 - Team Zurick -AM

$810 - Team Zurick - PM

$665 - Team Yocum/Krause -AM

$647 - Team Booth

$350 - Team Crandall

$335 - Team Withrow

$275 - Team Frederick

$265 - Team Mcdonnell

$200 - Team Yocum/Krause - PM

$200 - Team Wentzel

$200 - Team Ogurcak

$200 - Team Kane

$175 - Team Hartman

$110 - Team Lucky

$20 - Team Kolovani

🏃‍♀️ How to raise funds for the Race for Ed?

https://app.99pledges.com/fund/ELCOfortzeller

🏃 Students raise funds through cash/checks. These funds are added to the website weekly. Donations will be collected through Race Day (10/6), and winners will be announced on Monday, October 16.

🍦Winning class of each grade receives an ice-cream party! 🍦

Current Standings by grade level -

Kindergarten -

1st - $1,180 - Team Zurick -AM

2nd - $810 - Team Zurick - PM

3rd - $665 - Team Yocum/Krause -AM

First Grade -

1st - $647 - Team Booth

2nd - $350 - Team Crandall

3rd - $265 - Team Mcdonnell

Second Grade -

1st - $335 - Team Withrow

2nd - $275 - Team Frederick

3rd - $200 - Team Kane

🌟 Overall winning class of Fort Zeller receives a GLOW STICK PARTY! 🌟

🏃🏃‍♀️ Friday, October 6 - Celebrate the Race for Education Event! 🏃🏃‍♀️

Come out and cheer the students during the race!

We are also looking for volunteers to make the Race Day a wonderful event for students and staff.

To volunteer, please view our sign-up genius -

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0449AFAD29A0FC1-44558742-race

Classes will be participating in the Race as follows:

915-950AM - Jackson & Frederick

1025-11AM - Lucky, Kane, Withrow

11-1135AM - ZurickAM, KolovaniAM, KrauseAM

1215-1250PM - Breiner & Wentzel

1250-125PM - Crandall

125-2PM - Ogurcak & McDonnell

2-235PM - ZurickPM & KrausePM

235-310PM - Booth & Hartman

Box-Top Rewards

🔴 Scan your grocery receipts!!!

Earn money for our school through Box Tops for Education!

Download the Box Top mobile app onto your cell phone

(https://www.boxtops4education.com/s/get-the-app),

create an account with “FORT ZELLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL” as your participating school, and scan your receipts within 14 days of your purchase.

🔴 This week, when you buy Box Tops products and scan your receipts with the Box Tops app, you'll earn DOUBLE Box Tops for your designated school. Excludes bonus offers.*

Fort Zeller was honored to have Ms. Holly Serio join once again on Friday, September 15. Ms. Serio was previously a music teacher here at ELCO and she has decided to focus on her music and spend her time sharing her musical talents with schools across the area. Her shows are built on three things: engagement, entertainment, and education. Our students had so much fun and loved how interactive her performance was. Thank you so much to our PTO for bringing Ms. Serio back year after year.

Fort Zeller Elementary School

243 North Sheridan Road

Richland, PA 17087

Phone: (610) 589-2575

Fax: 610-589-5815

Twitter: @ElcoFort

Email: jhouck@elcosd.org
Website: https://www.elcosd.org/Domain/211
Location: 243 North Sheridan Road Richland, PA 17087
Phone: (610) 589-2575
Twitter: @ElcoFort